You might wonder what we do if we are coaching a student who seems stuck. He can’t figure out what he wants to share. She can’t decide on the most important thing to say. They are drowning in clichés, generalities, or too many details. That’s when we pull out our silver bullet, a writing tool that helps students connect to their most innate sense of themselves: archetypes.

Archetypes are universally recognized characters found in myths and modern-day stories: the hero, the adventurer, the dreamer, the leader, the artist, etc. We carefully describe the ten most familiar archetypes—what moves them, what motivates them—and ask our students if these characters sound anything like themselves. When students find the one or two archetypes that authentically speak to them, we explore life experiences the students have had—choices they have made, actions they have taken—that reveal them to be that archetype. Invariably, the archetype’s passions and values not only reveal but articulate the student’s passions and values as well. The archetype then becomes the student’s brand as he sells himself to the colleges.

So, are you a passionate leader? A tenacious problem solver? A creative innovator? A loyal friend? An engaged community member? A dynamic visionary? A compassionate caregiver? If so, tell a story about something you have done and prove it.

Some students work best from the inside out: they know instinctively what story they want to tell and only need help teasing out its message. Others work best from the outside in: by working from archetypes and their inherent messages, students discover the best personal story to tell to reveal what makes them tick. Everyone has a meaningful story. It is our passion at Adventure Essays to help every student discover that story—from the inside out or from the outside in—and tell it well.